ORLANDO, Fla. — As retailers and foodservice operators finalize their 2026 holiday promotions and turn their sights toward 2027 planning, Frieda’s Branded Produce — alongside sister companies Legacy Farms and Cal-Fresco — shared key category management insights and seasonal innovation during the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show.
During the expo, the team highlighted strategies to help produce buyers drive holiday sales through a blend of specialty flavor inspiration and traditional vegetable staples.
Capitalizing on Holiday Cooking Trends
According to C+R Research for Frieda’s Branded Produce, 56% of shoppers look for produce items that feel more special than their everyday purchases when cooking for the holiday season.
To help retailers capture those elevated basket sizes, Frieda’s showcased holiday merchandising opportunities featuring shallots, chicories, citrus and its flagship Stokes Purple sweet potatoes. The Stokes Purple stands as the top-selling purple sweet potato in the industry, the company says, preferred for its nutrition, balanced sweetness and vibrant color.
“People can add fun creativity and flavor to their celebration without reinventing the holiday meals they look forward to every year,” says Alex Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing or Frieda’s. “Shallots, boiler onions and Stokes Purple sweet potatoes add interest to displays, and they stop shoppers who want to try something new. With some signage or smart cross-merchandising, they’re an easy add to any basket.”
Multicultural Traditions and Everyday Staples
Frieda’s also underscored the importance of catering to diverse holiday cultural traditions. The company showcased key ingredients for seasonal favorites, such as ponche navideño (Latin American holiday punch) featuring tejocote, guava and tamarind. For early 2027 Chinese New Year promotions, Frieda’s highlighted offerings including Popjoys kumquats, mandarinquats, dragon fruit and Shanghai bok choy.
Combined with legacy lines, the group presented a single-source solution for produce departments.
“Our companies seamlessly deliver holiday staples across the vegetable category,” says Dan Madsen, CEO of Frieda’s Branded Produce, Legacy Farms and Cal-Fresco. “Frieda’s brings specialty items, like Asian vegetables, that stop shoppers in their tracks and introduce new traditions. Legacy Farms and Cal-Fresco bring fresh, delicious favorites like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, green beans, squash and broccoli.”
Value-Added Focus
Highlighting its value-add capabilities, Frieda’s featured its Sillies Pop-Top Party Coconuts at the booth, demonstrating why the company remains the No. 1 selling coconut brand in the U.S. Representatives across all three entities were on hand to negotiate contract programs across business units and offer long-term category solutions in a cost-conscious economic climate.
